Frank M. Pitre

PG&E CASES

Since January 2018, he has served as Co-Lead Counsel on behalf of the victims of the North Bay and Camp Fire Wild Fires to prosecute claims against PG&E for its mismanagement of electrical operations. In that respect, Mr. Pitre served as a member of the Tort Claimant’s Committee and a member of the Trust Oversight Committee. The Trustee of the Fire Victim’s Trust retained Mr. Pitre as lead counsel in a derivative case against the former officers and directors of PG&E, securing $117 million for the Fire Victim’s Trust, in addition to cash and stock valued at $13.5 billion.

Previous to that, he acted as Co-Lead Counsel, and secured one of the top 10 largest Shareholder Derivative Settlements in U.S. history against Officers and Directors of PG&E arising out of the San Bruno Fire & Explosion. Salman, et al. v. Darbee, et al., JCCP Action No. 4648.

PREVIOUS MASS TORT & CONSUMER CLASS ACTION

In 2017-2018, he was appointed as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (Settlement-Sub Committee) in claims on behalf of numerous victims who lost their homes and loved ones in the Thomas/Woolsey Wildfires in Southern California. JCCP Action No. 4965: In Re Southern California Fire Cases. In addition, he served as a member of The Steering Committee in the prosecution of over 1,400 clients against So. Cal Gas arising out of the Porter Ranch gas storage facility failure. In Re: Southern California Gas Leak Cases, JCCP Action No. 4861.

In January 2016, he was selected by Federal District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer as one of twenty lawyers, among 150 attorney applicants nationwide, to serve as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee to prosecute claims on behalf of a nationwide class of consumers against Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi over their diesel emissions scandal. The cases were pending in the Northern District of California in MDL 2672: In Re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation.

Frank served as one of ten members of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee selected by Federal District Court Judge Jesse Furman to lead litigation pending in the Southern District of New York on behalf of a nationwide class of consumers against General Motors for safety related defects in over 27 million vehicles. MDL 2543: In Re General Motors Ignition Switch Litigation.

In 2013-2015, Frank served as Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel spearheading the coordination of dozens of cases filed on behalf of injured passengers against Asiana Airlines and Boeing, arising from the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco on July 6, 2013. In Re: Air Crash At San Francisco, California on July 6, 2013.

In November of 2013, Frank was honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California as Consumer Attorney of the Year for his efforts in coordinating, prosecuting and resolving over 200 claims of injury, death and property destruction against PG&E. 

Earlier that same year, Frank served as Co-Lead Counsel for Economic Loss Class Plaintiffs in the Toyota Unintended Acceleration Marketing & Sales Practices Cases which successfully resulted in securing final approval of a $1.5 billion settlement on behalf of class members. In Re: Toyota Unintended Acceleration Marketing Sales Practices & Product Liability Litigation, MDL 2151JVS.

In 2009, Frank was recognized by the National Law Journal’s “Plaintiff’s Hot List” for his work as co-lead trial counsel in the In Re: Bextra and Celebrex Mktg., Sales Practices & Product Liability Litigation (MDL 1699), which culminated in Pfizer agreeing to pay $894 million to settle consolidated injury and class action cases related to its painkillers Bextra & Celebrex.

Frank served as liaison counsel and a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Alaska Air Flight 261 air crash. In addition, he was a member of the Plaintiffs' Executive Committee arising out of the Singapore Airlines Flight 006 air crash in Taiwan. Immediately prior to his committee appointments in Alaska Air and Singapore Airlines, he served as a member of the Plaintiffs' Management Committee in the California Diet Drug Litigation, where thousands of individuals were victimized by the diet pill combination Fen-Phen, which was condemned by the FDA for causing adverse health effects.

PREVIOUS SIGNIFICANT TRIAL VICTORIES

Frank recovered the largest individual wrongful death verdict in San Diego County history at that time, when a jury awarded $17.4 million to the wife and three children of a high ranking U.S. Naval Officer who was killed while riding his bike in a collision with an American Medical Response transport van. Mazurek, et al. v. American Medical Response, et al., San Diego Superior Court Action No. 10-83975 May 20, 2011. As a result, he was named a finalist for the 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of California.

Frank obtained one of the largest verdicts in Sutter County history when he obtained over $45 million on behalf on an elderly minority shareholder who had been frozen out of participation in a lucrative family timber harvesting business. Siller v. Siller, Sutter County Superior Court Action No. CVCS01-1083.

Frank obtained a multi-million dollar wrongful death jury verdict in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, California, against the State Department of Transportation, a highway contractor, and a trucking company. The verdict, one of the then-largest of its kind for Orange County, was affirmed on appeal, and as a result Frank was a finalist for CAOC’s Trial Lawyer of the Year award (2004).

Frank served as co-lead trial counsel for Consumers Union, obtaining a defense verdict in favor of Consumers Union in a product disparagement case where the plaintiff, Isuzu Motors of Japan, sought damages of multi- million dollars. His work in defense of Consumers Union earned him recognition as a finalist for the 2000 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by Public Justice.

Frank won a multi-million dollar verdict for the victims of a high profile San Francisco balcony collapse. He also secured a significant verdict for compensatory and punitive damages before a San Francisco jury which found the defendant to have wrongfully deprived the plaintiff of her partnership interest in a successful business. In addition, he served as co-lead trial counsel with Joseph W. Cotchett for E. & J. Gallo, winning a landmark trade dress infringement case for the winery.

Frank's experience in mass tort cases began in 1987 with the PSA Air Crash Cases, representing numerous plaintiffs in wrongful death actions following the crash of PSA Flight 1771; he served as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee, and later as Plaintiffs' co-lead trial counsel for the six-week jury trial which established the defendants' liability. The success of the PSA Air Crash Cases led to his appointment as a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in Carnahan et al. v. State of California, which successfully resolved hundreds of claims for personal injuries and damages against more than 100 defendants.

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Frank is a past president of Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), the 3,000-member group of lawyers dedicated to protecting and seeking justice for consumers. He has also served as a past president of the San Francisco Chapter of ABOTA, and Cal-ABOTA.

PUBLICATIONS

Frank is the author of numerous articles, including “Abuse of Process,” California Tort Damages, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1988; and “Tort Trends,” The Docket, San Mateo County Bar Association, 1989-1994. He is co-author of “Jury Instructions: A Practical Approach to their Use,” Civil Litigation Reporter, March, 1984; “Arguing Punitive Damages,” Civil Litigation Reporter, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1991; “Effective Opening Statements,” California Litigation, Journal of The Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991; “Jury Trial Tips: Witnesses,” California Litigation, Journal of The Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991; and “Winning Through a More Effective Direct Examination,” California Litigation, Journal of the Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991. Since 1998, he has served as the author of “California Personal Injury Proof,” published by the California Continuing Education of the Bar, which is updated annually to reflect legal changes affecting the essential tools of marshalling proof at trial.

TEACHING

Frank has served on the faculty of the Hastings College of Advocacy and the University of San Francisco Trial Advocacy Program. He also has served as the Co-Chair and presenter at several Masters In Trial programs sponsored by the ABOTA Foundation.